Around 1999 the then editor of The Chronicle, Andy Swain, “stole” half of Flackwell Electronics back page advertisement to print a little joke poking fun at that company's proprietor, Dave Lewis. People who know Dave will understand that he is a great character who loves a joke and takes the gentle mickey-taking in good spirit. When Phil Spooner took over as Chronicle editor in 2000 he also took on the task of compiling the back page mickey-take - and set about demolishing his friend Dave's character with great relish! Since then the back page of the Chronicle became an institution, even if sometimes it is a little bit of an in-joke. Usually what is printed there has a foundation, at least, in fact. Of course, a little poetic licence is occasionally used… Phil continued with the back page after John Hardcastle took over editorship of The Chronicle at the beginning of 2006. Eventually, feeling that it had run its course, he announced the end of the back page in 2010, but it returned quite quickly due to public demand. Few people probably realise that David Lewis actually paid for that back page advertising space and consequently paid to suffer the monthly full-scale assassination of his character! In November 2016 Phil Spooner called ‘time’ on the back page, feeling that the joke had run its course and was running out of steam. Over the next couple of pages we present a small selection of those back pages. Or use the link at the top right to read The Evolution of The Back Page compilation. Remember, these back pages are nearly always based upon fact…

The Back Page Astonians Cycling Fitness Strippergrams Early Efforts

EVOLUTION OF THE BACK PAGE (Large PDF file)